


Prompt 65: Defense (Extended Cut)

by Authorexx



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, in which Alex is a defense attorney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28574889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Authorexx/pseuds/Authorexx
Summary: Detective Olivia Benson is opposed by renowned defense attorney Alex Cabot.
Relationships: Olivia Benson/Alexandra Cabot
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	Prompt 65: Defense (Extended Cut)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is an AU where Alex is a defense attorney; I added on to this prompt from my earlier collection "Cabenson Fic Fest 2020." I hope you enjoy! -Ax

The interrogation was going smoothly—Olivia and Elliot were getting all the information they needed. They nearly had their confession when the door opened. “Not another word!”

Olivia and Elliot turned to see who had decided to interrupt their questioning. They both had to suppress a groan—it wasn’t just any defense attorney, it was Alexandra Cabot. It was abundantly clear that this boy’s parents had money; Cabot didn’t come cheap and she wore the labels to prove it. The blonde sat in the chair beside the suspect, glaring daggers at the detectives. “Did my client ask for a lawyer?”

“ _No_ , counselor, he _hadn’t._ ” Olivia’s voice was full of venom as she crossed her arms, going off the attack. “We’re by the book; don’t worry about babysitting us.”

Alex slowly nodded as she pushed up her glasses. “Then I’d like to speak with my client _alone_.”

Elliot and Olivia exited the room, both visibly upset by this setback. “Can you believe her?” Olivia fumed, staring into the one-way glass. “Waltzing in here like she’s smarter than us.”

“She’s really going to defend that idiot? She’s got her work cut out for her.” Elliot shook his head. “I’ll be back; I can’t watch this. D’you mind keeping an eye on them?”

“Yeah; go ahead.” Olivia sighed, eyes trained on the glass. Defense attorneys were the thorn in SVU’s side. They were always at odds with the detectives and sometimes crossed lines that drove Olivia mad. The ethical dilemmas presented by the average New York defense attorney were equally difficult for Olivia to wrestle with—why did exceptional criminal defense have to come with such a steep price tag? Despite this, there was something to be said for a woman such as Cabot in her line of work being acutely aware of her worth. If a person was to hire her, they’d be getting their money’s worth; she was often head and shoulders above the rest. Olivia silently prayed that CSU would find some kind of irrefutable proof in the crime scene or that something damning was left behind in the rape kit—anything that would prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Reasonable doubt was where a skilled defender like Cabot thrived.

Eventually, the trial came. Every witness the people had put on the stand were torn to shreds by the defense. Watching Alex Cabot in court was like watching a lioness hunt. Her height; her hairstyle; her manner of dress—all curated precisely to intimidate every person in the courtroom. Today wasn’t a particularly flashy day; her well-tailored black suit was plain, but her sky-high red-bottomed pumps stalked around the courtroom with confidence.

Court had wrapped up for the day, but they were far from closing arguments. In her frustration, Olivia had ducked into a bathroom at the courthouse to cool off—it was completely empty and quiet. She leaned over the sink, splashing her face with water to quell her rage. So far, it wasn’t looking like justice would be served. Seconds later, the door opened, and in stepped Cabot—the last person she wanted to see. The blonde began touching up her lipstick, ignoring Olivia entirely.

Against her better judgement, the detective spoke. “Where do you get off, huh?” Olivia leaned on the sink, grabbing a paper towel to pat her face dry. “Letting a man like that walk the streets.”

The blonde turned and locked eyes with Olivia—they were an icy blue that sent a frightening chill down Olivia’s spine. “You think I _like_ these people?” She snapped the lipstick tube shut, stalking closer to the brunette. “Listen, detective… I like the money. I like to win. And this is just a case of buyer’s remorse when he got a little too kinky.”

Olivia set her jaw, glaring up at the towering attorney, their faces now inches apart. “That’s a crock and you know it.”

The taller woman scoffed, shaking her head. “Like you’ve never had regrettable sex.”

A look of surprise flashed across the detective’s face; she’d been caught off guard by the frankness of the question. “H-Have you?” Olivia countered, crossing her arms.

“You’d have to ask my ex. She’d give glowing reviews.” The blonde suddenly stiffened, realizing what she’d admitted. She took a couple steps back, a blush rising to her cheeks as she broke eye contact.

The brunette blinked, processing what she’d just heard. “Cabot… you’re… a les—“

The attorney was instantly back on the attack, closing the gap between them with a finger in Olivia’s face, eyes flashing. “If you tell a _single_ soul, I will make it my life’s work to end your career before they even _think_ about making you a senior detective—”

Olivia looked into those blue eyes as Alex spoke, seeing a combination of fear and rage behind them. She knew what Alex had to lose—a woman in her position couldn’t afford to be labeled as a deviant. Olivia held her hands up, surrendering. “Don’t… don’t worry about it.”

“What do you care?” Alex said bitterly, clenching her jaw. “You could ruin my life in the next ten minutes without so much as lifting a finger.”

“Well, I _could_ do that…” Olivia said, “ _or_ I could tell you that I know of a junior detective in the NYPD who swings both ways.” She looked down to Alex’s hands, seeing the attorney’s grip loosen on her briefcase.

Alex looked up and met Olivia’s eyes. “I take it that this… hypothetical detective… isn’t out either.”

Olivia shook her head with a smile, appreciating Alex playing along. “Nope. And she works—theoretically, of course, in… hmm, let’s just pick a unit—Special Victims. So outing her... could end pretty badly for her.”

A sigh of relief came from the blonde, visibly relaxing. “I had my suspicions, Benson.”

The detective gave the other woman a quick once-over, then slowly smiled. “Please, call me Olivia.”

Alex felt a tingle shoot down her spine at Olivia's smile. “Okay, Olivia… call me Alex.”


End file.
